Another Ayr Gold Cup, another fabulous betting race!

The maximum 25 runners line up for this, not that that’s ever in doubt what with two consolation races also being needed, with our selection hopefully about to prove he is very much on an upward curve.

We whittled this year’s cavalry charge down to six runners, beginning appropriately with last year’s winner Bielsa: 

Main Contenders

Bielsa

Last year’s hero for Kevin Ryan is back for more and it appears that he’s in very similar form.

Fifth in a Listed race last time, he’s being wound up for this very day and he’s back to a mark of 99 having won this event of 98 twelve months ago.

There’s nothing wrong with the maths at all and he once again has an outstanding chance to land the £77,000 first prize for connections.

Escobar

An intriguing runner is Escobar for David O’Meara. A veteran of 63 races, we’re used to seeing him challenge for big pots over a mile and occasionally seven furlongs and in fact the eight-year-old tries sprinting for the first time ever in his life.

We don’t think there’s too much wrong with his speed and we know he has the ability, so assuming this different way of racing can get him to run to his best, he had to make the shortlist.

Fivethousandtoone

A second runner on the list for King Power after Bielsa, this one being trained by Andrew Balding.

Just a four-year-old, there is most likely a bit more to come from this chap and in fact he’s had just the 16 runs in total, not a lot for a sprint handicapper.

He’s in winning form having scored at Goodwood late last month and his mark of 94 is still some way short of where he was at as a younger horse, so he’s potentially well in.

Gulliver

Gulliver is in here for the same owner and trainer as Escobar and he too is a big-race handicapping veteran. The difference this time is that he is of course a renowned sprinter.

Six furlongs is most definitely his jam and he’s now off a workable handicap mark (95), however he is gradually regressing overall and was well beaten in this race last September.

Khanjar

When Nahaarr won this a couple of year’s ago for this column a few very nice bets were landed. That horse was a younger, improving sprinter who appeared to be simply better handicapped than the rest and similar comments may apply to Khanjar.

Trained by William Haggas, Khanjar is only three years old. He’ll be having just the seventh race of his career at Ayr and in a race that is bound to bring about the best performance he can muster given the likely very strong pace.

A winner at Ascot at the third attempt a year ago, the son of Kodiac returned this season with an easy handicap win at Ripon off a mark of 85. He had to race in the centre at Newmarket next time and didn’t enjoy things so much, still finishing a close third in a hot race behind Lethal Levi off a mark of 94.

Last time out he scored easily again at Haydock, this time off 95, and he appears to be so much better than that to the naked eye. He has the pace and the class and should be going very close indeed if not meeting trouble in running.

Popmaster 

Ed Walker’s Popmaster hasn’t won for a wee while, over a year in fact, but his form overall stands up well.

He was second in a valuable race at Chelmsford, occupied the same position in the Wokingham and was a fair fourth again back at Ascot last time out.

Summary

Both Fivethousandtoone and Escobar have the ability to win this at the weights, though some niggling doubts remain about both.

Bielsa is looking to become the latest sprinter to double-up in a big handicap following the likes of Commanche Falls this season, now a two-time Stewards’ Cup winner who is also in this line-up but ultimately, he may be undone.

Plenty of these runners are in a similar boat. They are all crack handicappers, but are not getting any younger or indeed any better.

Simply, they are there for the taking if a young and improving horse is on its game and we feel that will be the case with three-year-old KHANJAR who seems to be very well handicapped indeed.